


Others Ways to Fly

by Azemex



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Diary, Dragons, Janet Drake is alive, Light Angst, Magic, More characters and tags will be added as the story progresses, This is set after Dick took Robin from Tim, Tim Drake-centric, like there is no angst at all but in case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-06-20 08:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15529878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azemex/pseuds/Azemex
Summary: “Hello Timothy, my son.If you are reading this it means that my body has been found and you believe I am dead.I am not.And I believe it’s time for you to learn more about your family and other ways to fly.”Or the story in which Janet Drake is a dragon, and alive, giving Tim a purpose in his life—besides finding Bruce— after Dick took Robin from him.





	1. Chapter 1: First Page Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim finds a diary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this idea has been bugging me for days, so I finally took the time to write a short chapter of how it would be??  
> I hope you like it.

**For:** Timothy Drake

 **From:** Janeth Drake

_In case that I’m presumed dead and my body is found._

He looks at the diary with curiosity, it is an old one, he remembers when his mother was writing it—he doesn’t actually remembers when she wrote the title, but it’s not an important thought so he throws it away— how she would look at him—not really, she physically would look at him, but he always felt that in reality, her mind was somewhere else— and smile.

His fingers touch the material, tearing away the dust that has accumulated after all those years that the diary has been hiding in there.

The first page took away his breath.

_“Hello Timothy, my son._

_If you are reading this, it means that my body has been found and you believe I am dead._

_I am not._

_And I believe it’s time for you to learn more about your family and other ways to fly._

_By the way, you are right now in front of me, lying to us about how much homework you have and that it will perhaps make you stay up late, when we know that you are out there, flying in the shadows of our city, as a bird._

_Don’t be surprised that we know, after all, we are your parents, where do you think you got it from?_

_I can only hope that you are not alone, that your father is there with you, reading this, teaching you the ways we live and fly._

_If that is not the case, then you will have to find me, and believe me when I say it won’t be an easy task._

_You know who we are._

_After all, you are one of us, a Drake._

_A Dragon, never a Bird.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again !!  
> The chapter is short, I know, if I ever continue this story I’m pretty sure all the chapters will be short.  
> English is not my first language and this is the first time I’ve tried to write a story in this language, so yeah, the story doesn’t even have a beta so all errors are mine.  
> By the way, do you feel like I could add more tags?? If so, which tags do you think I should add? I’m kinda new in this type of story so helP.
> 
> If any of you have a prompt that you wish to see in this AU leave them in the comments please !!


	2. Chapter 1: First Page Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim reads the rest of the first page.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I was kinda bored today and after the feedback that I received―I never thought that people would like this idea so much as I do!―, I decided to write another chapter for you, I tried to make it longer, but man, English is just hard, so yeah.  
> Also, don't expect chapters to come really fast, I'm a mess at updating my stories.

The diary slips through his fingers, almost in the floor after reading those words―not even bothering to read the few sentences left in the page―, emphasis in almost because his reflexes act before he even realizes that the book is not in his hands, and catch it when this one is a few centimeters away from the ground.

His eyes sting, his vision is getting blurry, his grip in the diary is tight, after all the things that have happened, this shouldn’t surprise him as much as it does, but the thing is that he has been trying to be ten steps ahead of everything, in spite of all the events that have been stumbling through his life, taking him with his guard down, he didn’t like the feeling of not being able of doing something―being unprepared―, just watching how people, _important people_ , in his life were being taken away, so he tried, he _is_ trying to be stronger, faster, he watches every threat and searches for its weakness, but this is something he never prepared himself for.

 _His mother is alive_ , that was never a thought that would cross his mind in the past, _yes_ , he believes that Bruce is alive, out there, waiting, _but_ Bruce is Batman, and his mother is certainly not Bruce, having a contingency plan for his contingency plan, as far as _he_ knows.

But those few sentences explain a lot.

They explain a lot of what happened the night that Dick took Robin from him and gave it to Damian―and even though it hurts, he knows that Dick is right, that Damian is after all a kid that lost his parent, that he needs Robin, just like Tim always thought that Batman needs a Robin, that Gotham needs her vigilantes, but couldn’t he ask? Couldn’t he talk to Tim about giving the mantle to Damian?―, he shakes his head, trying to dispose those thoughts, he doesn’t need them.

No, what he needs now is to finish reading this page, because if he is getting this right, if the words that his mother keeps throwing in here are true.

Then he needs to find her

_And he is a dragon._

That last thought is not much of a surprise after the night that he went through a few days ago, but it feels good to be able to corroborate the theories that have been in his mind.

He opens the diary, if his fingers are shaking there is no one there to point it out, reading again the first sentences, getting a spring of hope, smashing through his chest and taking his breath away, making him feel like a little boy, _scared_ , trying to get out of this house and look for his mother, but he shoves it back, because this is not what his mother needs, he has to be cautious, take his time and read all those words that she left for him.

_“I have never intended to guide you into our life with written words, but it appears that life took me away from you._

_Life has its strange ways to tangle into our path, isn’t it?_

_But there is more, if you understand the first sentences of this diary then it means that you know what is going on, I don't know what you went through for it to happen, and I'm sorry I'm not there for you my love, if you don’t, then I’m not going to be playing riddles with you._

_You are a Dragon, Timothy, not as in the creature from mythology, perhaps back then, dragons were like that, but we evolved, we were able to go through this world without our wings, our scales, or our fire._

_However, that is only a part of you, you are after all, also, your father’s son._

_And if he is not with you right there, then I will make him write a diary for you._

_You will not be alone Timothy, we will always be there for you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think?  
> I really love stories in which Janet is so much more than what people thinks, but in those stories they leave behind Jack and it makes me a little sad, because, there must be a reason of why Janet is with him, don't you think?  
> I would love to read you guys!  
> If you see any mistakes in my writting don't refrain to point them out in the comments pleasee.


	3. Chapter 2: It's Red and It Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night that Tim keeps talking about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyoneee, I'm trying to write as much as I can right now because in a week I'm going to enter my first year in university, so enjoy the chapters that are coming(lol i don't even know if there is more coming, i just finished writing this)  
> By the way, this chapter has 1460 words, it took me almost three hours, but I feel happy because I think I'm improving in my english.  
> As always, if you notice a mistake don't be afraid to point it out! I don't have a beta so pls.

_A few nights ago._

He sees _Red_ , not for the first time, and he is certain that it won’t be the last one.

 

“My name is Tim **Wayne**!” at the same time those words come out of his lips his fist connects with the young boy’s face.

 

“Tim! Back off!” he feels Dick restraining him, _why? Why is it wrong if he punches the other boy but if Damian tries to kill him it’s okay?_

 

“Hnn” the boy, _no_ , Robin, draws up his hand to his face “I let you get that shot in, **Drake**. I want you to feel _good_ about yourself…God knows you don’t have any reason” he can hear the smile on his words, even if with his hand on his face he can not see the expression Damian is wearing.

 

He can’t stay here, not with them, he just, can’t.

 

“You want me to back off? Fine” he frees himself from Dick’s grip.

 

He’s already on his way out when his bro-, _no_ , Dick talks.

 

“He’s gone Tim, you have to accept it.” for a moment he thought that he was going to be stopped, _don’t let me go, please._ “Things have to change but I still need you.” _Then why you don’t believe me?_

 

“For what?” the little demon comments, he sounds confuse, as if he doesn’t really know why they would need him.

 

“Shut up, Damian” for Tim it sounds like a whisper, perhaps because he is far away from them. “Tim…” a whisper “Tim!” he can’t hear them anymore.

 

* * *

 

 

“This is not happening” he is still seeing everything red, his house is a mess, the table is on the floor after he turns it over, there is glass everywhere, and he just wants it to stop.

 

He regains a little consciousness when he founds himself on the floor, reclined on the wall.

 

Would anyone call the police? He is not sure if he was screaming during his little rampage, his throat hurts a little, that would answer his question.

 

_He feels so alone._

 

His hand is bleeding, he should focus on that, _wash the hand with his antibacterial cleanser, wash it again but with water, use pressure to stop the blood,_ he is already on his way to his First Aid Kit when he notices something off; his hand doesn’t sting, he doesn’t feel the blood coming out of it and it _tickles?_

 

He doesn’t know what he was expecting when he brings his hand close to his face.

 

But seeing his skin putting itself together, taking out the little pieces of glass out of the cut is not one of the first options.

 

So, he does the sane thing and pass out, for about minute, perhaps less, he only realizes that he did when he founds himself on the floor, with more glass, but this time on his face, and it happens again, he can _fucking_ feel it―just as this thought crosses his mind a familiar voice in his head says _“Language”_ , sorry Alfred, but he thinks that he has the right to curse for what is happening to him right now―, he’s getting up and sees how the pieces of glass are falling from his face to the floor.

 

He is not a meta, Bruce tested him when he was just starting his training for Robin, so he crosses that out; Fear Tox? No, Scarecrow and Joker are in Arkham, he checked; hallucinations perhaps? They can be caused by lack of sleep, he must know, after all those times his teammates been bugging him about his sleep schedule, listing him the consequences.

 

Yeah, that’s probably it, he’s hallucinating.

 

It _doesn’t_ feel like hallucinating, everything looks the same, nothing is weird, there aren’t weird colors, or talking objects, nothing weird besides what happened just a few minutes ago, but there is something off.

 

_Everything is still red._

 

Since he found out that the little demon was taking his cowl― _no, not his cowl, it was never his_ ― he started seeing red, but that was not the first time he had seen red, he remembers the first time, his mother’s death, Stephanie’s death, Kon’s death, Bart’s death, his father’s death, Bruce’s death; after remembering everything that has happened to him he thinks that now the red is worse, is darker.

 

That’s how he found himself in the _dogeza_ position on the floor, his breathing is getting heavier, he is sweating, why is he sweating?

 

For a moment everything stops, it’s silent, it feels like eternity, but he’s sure only seconds have passed, then, it hurts, _it hurts so much, help me, Bruce, please, Dick, anyone._

 

He can feel the bones in his back _break_ , rearranging themselves, _expanding_ , in a non-human way; the tip of his fingers feel as if he is putting them on fire; all his skin feels as if it’s regenerating itself, just like how it felt when his cut was curing itself, but this it’s worse, he feels like a giant cut, like someone is opening the cut after the scab has been formed and this one is closing and someone opens it again, and again.

 

And the only thing he can do is wait and feel.

 

He is good at waiting, but feeling? Yeah, _no_ , a topic for another day.

 

* * *

 

 

When he wakes up he wonders what time it is, and what he is doing on the floor; then everything that happened comes to him, a glance to the windows tells him that he didn’t sleep for more than three hours, or perhaps he slept a whole day, he can find out that later.

Because that’s the moment he becomes aware of an additional weight on his back and on his hands.

 

For the second time in that night he brings his hand to his face, and to his surprise he doesn’t pass out, he just, stares.

 

Those are claws.

 

Why does he have _claws_?

 

He runs to his bedroom, he knows there is a whole-body mirror on it, he gets stuck with the handle of his door, the claws making it difficult to open it, at the end, he succeeds, the lights are off, but he is able to see everything just fine―something he adds to his list to things _I have/can do now_ , is a list he created a few minutes ago, the first thing on the list is Able to Regenerate Myself, after that is Claws and now is Infrared Night-Vision, he almost wants to laugh, what is going to be the next one? Fly?―, when he is in front of the mirror is when things get weirder, as if they weren’t enough.

 

First, there are wings―in his back― behind of him, and those wings have claws, there is something on the floor; he squints his eyes, is that, a _tail_?

 

The―his― wings move, and he can only stare at them, they are so beautiful, if he wasn’t so close to them he would say they are black, but he is close, and he can see the glimpses of red, through the scales, there a gold dots in a few parts, and the claws, they have fire inside of them he can see it, he can feel it, he wonders if he can controls it, he tries, just like trying to move a finger and the fire moves, his eyes widen and a smile takes place on his face before he notices, he reaches his fingers to touch the fire when he feels it again, there is fire inside of the claws in his hands too, he can’t see it, but he know is there; his wings move again, it reminds him of when the ears of a puppy relaxes when they are happy, he supposes that it is involuntary movement of his, will he be able to control it? He was able to control his expressions thanks to Bruce.

 

 _Bruce_.

 

For a moment everything outside of what was happening is pushed aside, but he knows what his priority right now, he needs to find him, he doesn’t need a distraction like this one, he doesn’t know what’s happening to him, but he doesn’t need it now.

 

His wings go back, a move he recognizes from something else, he tilts his head a little and squints, did they really just do that? What does this mean? His wings have a mind of its own? Oh, _oh…_

                                 

His throat hurts but he needs to test his theory.

 

“Okay” those are the firsts words that come out of his mouth after a few hours, and he can’t really believe what he is going to say next “Let’s go for a… _fly_ ”

 

The wings expand themselves.

 

_His wings are a puppy._

 

He notices something else going up, and, _the tail is moving now._

There is a window next to his mirror, right now is closed―after his father tried to stop him from being Robin―, but he believes that he can open it, and he keeps a replacement domino on his place.

 

He laughs, because for the first time in weeks he doesn’t feel alone, not scared for not being able to fly as a bird, as Robin.

 

Because right now, he is going to fly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... what do you think? did you guys like the colors i gave Tim? By the way, I swear that the wings weren't going to be a giant puppy, it just...came out as I was writing them, they were acting on their own and I said fuck it.  
> I did a lot of research, if someone looks through my history they are going to believe that i don't know english, that i'm clumsy, that I love dragons and that I'm wondering if my dog is happy.  
> I'm trying to do this story justice and I already did a sketch of how would Tim look;)  
> tho i won't probably publish it in a long time, sorry for the spoilers!! heehhe tbh i'm not.


	4. Chapter 3: Dust of a Hurn of a Unicorn doesn't always work.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim meets some interesting people

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, i'm inspirated, what can i say man?  
> I'm also kind of proud because this chapter has more than 2000 words, big deal for me, okay?

“The spells we put in the diary went off a few minutes ago” the young man said to the phone, he was in front of a house that perhaps years ago would have hold a happy family, right now, he was sure that there was no one happy there.

“It took him shorter than we thought” a female voice answered to his call.

“Are we sure it was him the one who opened the diary? Only one spell went off” he started trying to circle the house, looking at the windows, searching for anything that would tell them who opened the diary.

The woman in the line hummed.

“He only read the first page then, perhaps it means that Timothy doesn’t know how to read the other pages” he rolled his eyes, she completely ignored his thought that perhaps someone else than the boy would open the diary, he could feel a smile slowly appearing on his face.

“I swear, you just have a soft spot for Janet and want to see her happy” how couldn’t they? Janet after all was family for them.

“You say it as if you didn’t too” he could hear a smile in her words.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I _love_ Janet, still can’t get over the fact that she married a _Drake_ , out of everyone tho, but you gotta accept that sometimes she is kind of scary Xochi” he manages to spot a shadow in front of a window, if he remembers correctly that’s the room of Janet’s spawn. “I see him” he is already moving closer to the house while saying those words.

“Knock first Tatsuo, you know what he’s been through, he doesn’t need a stranger appearing in his house” she reminds him, making him take a few steps backs from the back door.

“And what do you want me to say? _Hello, it’s going to be $7 for the pizza your ordered?_ Oh wait, I don’t even have a pizza! Hell no, the kid will punch me in the face” while thinking an excuse to get into the house he started considering actually getting a pizza, it would be easier, wouldn’t it?

“Don’t, you are not getting a pizza, just knock and tell him that you need to talk with him”

“All right, I’ll do that and then what? What will I say? _Hey, I know that you just found out that you mother is alive, isn’t that awesome?_ ” he was frowning, if Xochi saw him she would say he was pouting, but he did not pout.

“Just tell him the truth” as if that would help them, they knew what Janet had teach the kid, even if they told him the truth there was not a lot of probability that he would believe them. “And check the left pocket of your jacket, I’m sure that it will help you to get him to talk to us”

He pat his pocket and a smirk appear on his face “Gods I love you Xochi, you know that right?” he took out the little bottle, a spray, dust of a horn of a unicorn, specially used to make people follow your orders for 12 hours, sometimes less, sometimes more.

“Be careful, we have never used it in a _Drake_ ” the smirk disappeared.

“I’m sure it won’t be a lot of difference, after all, he is Janet’s too, right?” he doesn’t say that Janet built an immunity of the dust.

“I don’t know, he is… different Tatsuo. I’ll let you do the dirty work, I’ll be waiting at the dojo”

“Consider it done, boss”

“I told you not to call me boss”

“You _love_ it”

“I do not”

“You _do_ ”

“I’m hanging up, good luck Hisakawa” _ouch_ , last names, he just hears the beep that announces that the call is over.

 _“Well, now it’s just you and me Timmy, let’s have fun”_ he says quietly to himself while he also presses the bell. From the outside he can hear a rush of steps, he hears them stop, not in front of the door, but at the side, an observation that makes him frown, he knows that he is being observed by the little camera that pretends to be an old peephole, so he calms himself and waves to it with a lazy smile.

The door opens itself slowly, not enough for him to pass through it, but enough to see a little of what is inside, a head pokes in, a familiar face stares, then the half of his body is out, not enough for him to harm if he wants to―which he doesn’t, but it’s something that is not overlooked by him―, but enough to appear naïve but not _too_ naïve because this is _Gotham_.

The boy is good, he gives him that, but not good enough, perhaps good enough for the vigilantes that fly in Gotham, but not for _him_ , he is older, and has more experience than any of them so he notices all those little pieces that stand out.

“Hello, sir, is there anything I could help you with?” the boy smiles in a non-threatening way, he lets the emotions of curiosity and wary be in his face―as he already said, _this is Gotham,_ people don’t get to live here by being naïve and hopeful that the next time they see a stranger this one won’t attack them, _it’s common sense,_ for the Gothamites, at least―but he sees it, how the spawn is giving him a quick glance over, looking for a threat, his eyes linger longer at the pockets of his jacket, he forces down the smile that threatens to get on his lips, he is _really_ Janet’s brat.

“I was wondering if I would be able to have a talk with you” he says the truth, is what Xochi told him to do.

The kid―he should stop calling him a kid, he really should, but he can’t stop himself, for him, Tim _is_ a baby―raised an eyebrow.

“About what?” he wonders what he should do next, should he spray the dust already? Or keep talking?

He decides for the latest option.

“About family” he nods to the house “I see that you found the diary, Timmy” the moment that those words are said is when the boy drops the façade of trying to find out if the man in front of him is a threat, his eyes widen and his mouth gasp.

“How…” the kid looks thrown out for a single moment, and that’s his take.

He takes out the spray, he feels the kid eyes following his movements, but he realizes a little too late. The spray is in front of his face and he is pressing the bottom, seeing how the dust gets into Tim’s face, stay there, produces a golden glow, then disappears.

“All right kid, blink twice” he knows that the dust should have work, but it is standard instructions to ask a simple order to see if the dust is working.

The dust is _not_ working, the kid is staring at him, his expression slowly turning from shock to confusion, and a little of anger.

“What the fuck” those are the last words the boy says.

Apparently, the _Drakes_ are immune to the dust, that little information would have been useful a few seconds ago.

“Sorry kid” he knocks the kid out, hitting him with his punch in the temple, just enough to pass out.

As the kid stays in the ground, he glances outside, to the street, it is late, but not late enough for the sky to be dark, the sun is still shining a little.

He must wait a few minutes until the sun is down.

“Well, where is _that_ diary?” he enters the house and closes the door.

If he also steps in the kid’s hand, there is no one to prove it.

He apologizes though.

Manners, after all.

 

* * *

 

 

The first thing that he feels is something wet pressing into his face.

“Anubis, leave Timothy alone” that’s what’s make him open his eyes.

First, he is pretty sure that the Egyptian God of Mummification wouldn’t be licking his face; second, the person that said that was a woman, and he is not close to any woman right now―he doesn’t count Stephanie, not after faking her death; Cassie either, she made clear what she thought of Tim’s thoughts―, so who can it be?

“I see that you are awake” that makes him stand up slowly on his elbows to see her, even when his muscles protest for being put away from the bed he is on.

He takes sight on her, a woman, probably in her late forties, her body looks trained, her stance is relaxed, her hair is being hold in a ponytail―he can see a few gray hairs― leaving a few strands fall in her collected face, there is also a little smile in her lips, as if she finds amusing how he is checking her up, analyzing her, he can’t help but feels a shiver run down his spine.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Xochimitl Ciau, is a pleasure to meet you Timothy, your parents talked wonders about you” she extends her hand to him and he takes her in automatic, expecting her to strength her grip, show him how stronger she is, but she only shakes it and her smile softens “We’ve been waiting for you”

“How do you know my parents?” he needs to know, he just found out a big secret of his family, then a guy kidnaps him and a woman presents herself saying that his parents talked about him with her, is kind of a big deal.

“They are family” another voice talks, and his eyes take in the man looking at him at the other side of the room, the same one that punched him.

“You are dragons?” his words come out more like a statement than a question.

The woman laughs, a soft laugh, as if she was watching a baby asking her to be hold; her hand goes to his hair and he stills, but she only strokes it.

“I am not a dragon young one, he is” she stops to look directly to his eyes “What we mean with family, is not explained with bloodline, but with a relationship that last through years, with only love, trust and time.” he looks at her eyes, and there’s only kindness in her eyes.

“Did you, did you know that mother is alive?” he stumbles through his words, he briefly spares a glance to the guy that got closer to him while the woman, Xochimitl, talked to him.

“Yes, we did” his body calms, he didn’t even know that he got tense waiting for the answer. He is happy, he was afraid of being turn down, that they would reject his beliefs of his mother state.

“Where is she?” he needs to find her, _he needs her_ , she was not the best mother, but she was the only mother he had.

“That, is a question for another day kid” there is hand on his shoulder now, making him turn to look to the young man, finally having a good look on him, he is young, perhaps in his first twenties, Asian, dark hair, tall―almost as tall like Jason―, he is also in shape, he can see a few muscles on his arm, “You are here to be trained, just like your mother asked spawn”

“Spawn?” the words make him frown.

“Oh, dear Hades, you look just like your mother, that _is_ scary, thank the gods you got also Jack’s features, that makes you likeable”

He stills, that’s the first time that someone says that he looks like his father.

It feels good, he allows himself to smile.

“There it goes, that’s something that you would never see in Janet’s face”

“Leave him alone Tatsuo” the woman glares at the young man, _Tatsuo?_ ―a Japanese name― but her voice is warm, he can hear the kindness and love she is directing to the guy, for a second he wonders their relationship, then drops it, is none of his business―it is his business, he is a bat, he must know everything of everyone close to him, he shoves that thought down, right now he is not a bat as far as he remembers―, he asks.

“Is your name Tatsuo?”

“That’s me, my name is Tatsuo Hisakawa, at your service” the last words sound serious, but he sees Tatsuo’s face, how he tilts his face, letting a few strays of hair fall into his face―he is wearing a bun―, the little smirk, and his eyes, they talk of an inside joke.

“I would present myself, but I believe you know more of me than I do” he says.

“You are fucking right on that one” Tatsuo chuckles.

“Go back to rest Timothy, when you are ready there will be food waiting for you downstairs” she accommodates some of the hairs that are in his face, putting them behind his ear. He wants to protest, he is not tired, he wants to find out more about his family, his mother mentioned that he is also his father’s son, she implied that there is more history in his blood than just being a _dragon_ , he wants to know.

“Sleep well little _whelp_ , you will need it” Tatsuo gives him a little squeeze on his shoulder, then punches him down, so he is resting in the bed, Xochimitl claps and the lights are out; his eyes feel heavier, the bed is cold―just how he likes it―the pillow is soft, and he falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo... what do you think??  
> I'm wondering if I'm doing justice to Tim, do you like how he acts??  
> If any of you are wondering how is that Tim got knocked out to fast and easy, remember that this is after his fight with Dick, after Cassie told Dick what Tim thinks of Bruce's death, how Dick told him that he should see a therapist in Metropolis (all of this happens in the Red Robin comics!) after Tim's transformation(that probably left him exhausted) and finally, after finding out that his mother is alive, I think that is a very good excuse of why Tim was easy to take down.  
> He is also a little softer now because he hasn't been on his journey of becoming Red Robin, he hasn't gone out traveling the world, making alliances that make him step the fine lines of gray.  
> By the way, there are words that you won't probably understand (i did a lot of research to be able to find them)  
> The only one i remember right now tho is "whelp" that means a baby dragon, if you have another one don't doubt to leave a comment!  
> Now, last questions, what do you think of Xochi and Tatsuo? they are original characters, their history will be explained as the story progresses, did you like them? I hope you do, because I'm loving them.


	5. Chapter 4: Let's have a talk, and, does anyone really dies?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xochi and Tatsuo have story time, also, more secrets to discover, Tim cries because he needs to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't fucking believe it, I wrote 3756 words just because of one comment in the last chapter, look I almost made it into 4k words!!! omg  
> You know the drill, if you see a mistake don't be afraid to point it out!!

This time when he wakes up, it’s not because of something wet licking his face, it’s more because of the smell that comes into the bedroom he is staying at, it not only wakes him up, it also makes his stomach growl.

He remembers what the woman―Xochi, that’s her name― said, that there will be food for him when he wakes up, he palms the pockets of his palms, hoping that he had his phone on before Tatsuo knocked him, he is currently looking for his phone when the door is open silently.

“Hey Timmy, you up?” the voice startles him, he turns to look at Tatsuo who is already next to him, the latter one giving him a curious look. “What were you doing with your hands down there? Let me tell you one thing, if you get these sheets dirty by something that is not an injury, you _are_ washing them, there is no way I am doing it, neither Xochi has to, even if she says it’s a normal thing that teenagers do, _man_ , you really have a way to make yourself feel at home”

“What? No, I wasn’t, oh god, I wasn’t masturbating!” he can feel his face getting red. “I was looking in my pockets for my phone” he explains.

“Oh, I got your phone, charger, laptop, and everything that I thought that you would like to have close to you when I brought you a few hours ago, if you would like to get something else I can accompany you tomorrow” he squints his eyes “Kid, are you alright? You look red, are you sick? Were you having wet dreams? Hey, it’s okay, that is something everyone has gone through, I can’t blame you for having those” he gives him a kind smile that can’t help making Tim groan with frustration for the assumptions that Tatsuo keeps creating.

“Where is it?” he feels the heat going through all his body, that’s something he hates, he blushes with all his body, he remembers how hard was for Bruce to try to help him control it.

“Next to you kid” he points to the nightstand and Tim can see the phone and the charger on it―reminding him that the lights are off and he is able to see in the dark―, he takes the phone and sees that it’s 10:32PM, which means that he only slept for about 2 hours.

“Well, I came here to see if you were awake and hungry, I know that you are awake, and I think that you should come downstairs to have food, you will need it, we dragons eat a lot, believe me”

“We do?” he knows that the rest of the family believes that he doesn’t eat enough and that he basically lives on coffee, _it’s_ _not_ _true_ , but he never corrected them.

“Yes, we do, it’s something that comes with the fact of sharing your body with a dragon” those words make a twirl of theories come into his mind.

“ _Shit_ , I know that look, that’s Jack’s look when we used to mention something related to magic to him, of course you would have that look, dear _Ryūjin_ , why couldn’t you get that from Janet? She just lets magic take its own course” he can’t hear the last words he says because of how Tatsuo placed his head in his hands. “Well, food is about to be served, you should come, get up Tim” Tatsuo is already walking to the door, giving Tim a view of how he moves, he is silent, he can’t hear his steps as much as he strains his ears to pick up any sound, the way his body moves is with a confident flow, it reminds him of Dick, but in Dick, he is confident in his moves because of all the training he has, therefore he is sure that he would be able to move like he wants and needs to, while Tatsuo moves in a way that reminds him of someone else. _Ra’s Al Ghul_ ―his mind provides the name that he was relating with the moves, it makes him still―, Tatsuo moves with a confidence that talks of experience, the conclusions that comes to him makes him frown, he will need to clarify a few of his doubts during this dinner.

He stands up from the bed and walks to where Tatsuo is waiting for him, next to the door. They walk through a hall, and he can’t help to see that there are about 7 doors in total, 3 to his right and another 3 to his left, his bedroom being the last door at the end of the corridor, when they reach the stairs he notices that there are more stairs leading up, he wonders how many floors does this house has; as they descend the stairs he can hear Xochi’s voice and another voices, but they sound with a little of static, she’s making a call on the phone, he can hear laughs and shouts, the stairs come to an end, and they end up in a living room, it contains about four couches, a big tv, a game station next to it, he can see a few books in the little table that is situated in the middle of everything. They take a turn to the right where the kitchen is, besides having what an usual kitchen has―it reminds him of Alfred’s kitchen, but this one seems more… alive― it appears to have a few posts its in the fridge, it also has a long island, perhaps about 5 meters, maybe more, and is where Xochi is right now, just as Tim thought, she is making a call, a videocall it appears.

“Xochi, and kids, we are here” Tatsuo says just as they step in the kitchen making the people―kids? ― in the videocall scream, he can identify a few of their screams, some of them―how many kids are there? ― are just screaming Tatsuo’s name, and there is one that makes him stumble, “The masculine dragon is here!”, it also makes the rest of the people in the call to laugh, including Xochi, and Tatsuo to groan.

“Well, Larisse, it seems that we will have to complete this call later, I will call you when I can, if you are not available text me, I’ll do the same” Xochi says, he can’t manage to see the person on the screen from where he is standing.

“Sure thing Xochi, text me, we will be there in a week, promise, Daniel is liking Gotham U so we are planning on giving it a visit” a girl responds, he can hear how she shifts the phone.

“That’s amazing! If you can convince to any of the others to get more into their education I will owe you Larisse”

“Consider it done, and that’s a promise, you heard her Tatsuo, she will owe me!”

“I heard her Larisse, loud and clear” Tatsuo laughs while moving a chair from the island and sitting on this one.

“Good, then I am leaving, tell your guest that he will become your new minion if he stays longer, bye!” the videocall is over as the girl, Larisse, hangs up.

“You heard her too kid, you will be our minion” Tatsuo looks at him with a smile, while he pats the chair next to him, prompting him to sit there, as he does so, he answers.

“We will see” that makes the man laugh.

“So, what did you make for us today Xochi?”

“I made this dish called _Tinga_ , Adriana gave me her recipe a few weeks ago and I’ve been wanting to try it, today you guys will be my guinea pigs” she turns around and gives them a smile, she starts untying the apron she is wearing, it says something in spanish that he recognizes, _“The best cooker”_ it also has a few hands in it.

She serves three dishes, each of them has three _tostadas_ , or at least he believes that’s what they are called, they have chicken that looks orange, he wonders if it will be spicy, he loves Alfred’s food, but he usually doesn’t make spicy dishes.

He takes one bite, then a second one, and he doesn’t notice that he has already finished his first tostada until he hears Tatsuo say, “Same Tim, fucking same” and Xochi is asking.

“Were they good Tim?” he looks up to her, he is already starting to sit straight, he wonders if she will scold him for eating like that, he can almost see Alfred’s frown, but, she is smiling at him, the same smile she gave him a few hours ago, a kind and warm one.

“Yes, it was really good, I didn’t know I was this hungry” he waits to have his mouth empty to talk.

“I agree with him, this is really good, what does it has?” Tatsuo asks as he bites his second tostada.

“Well, it has the tostada, beans, _Panela_ cheese, the chicken had chipotle, onions, chicken broth, the lettuce and the cream” as she stops explaining she takes the first bite of her tostada.

They eat in silence, getting second serves, when they finish they stay there, until Xochi breaks the silence.

“Tim, do you have any questions you wish to make right now, or do you want us to explain to you everything, then you ask?”

“I only have one question, then if you can, I wish for you to explain me everything, please” Xochi and Tatsuo smile, Tim doesn’t know, but he can’t help but to be a reminder of their friend.

“Shoot” Tatsuo says as he leans in the counter.

“How do you know that my mother is alive?” he looks at them while asking, he notices how that question makes frowns appear on their faces.

“We knew it even before she faked her death, your mother had it all planned out, she came to us and told us what she was going to do” Tatsuo responds

“We tried to stop her, but she denied our help, giving us excuses, we also were planning about taking you into custody, your mother, after all, have gave our names in your papers as your legal guardians, but you had your father at the moment” she stops for a second and then recontinue her explanation “Then he left too, and we didn’t know, because at the moment we were busy helping the kids, and when we came back to find out what happened Bruce Wayne was your legal guardian, we were going to interfere, we didn’t know why your parents’ lawyers didn’t call us”

“Probably because of how Wayne paid everyone to get your custody fast” Tatsuo comments.

“Probably” Tim confirms his theory.

“Well, the thing is that we have known all the time, your father did too” Tatsuo says, and he nods, he suspected the latter.

“Tim, we want to hear what you know, or what you think you know, we wish to solve all your doubts and help you get to your mother” Xochi places her hand in Tatsuo’s arm.

“I only know that I thought that my mother got killed by the Obeah Man, after that, my friends, they, they left too, my dad” he stops for a moment as he feels his eyes starting to sting. “My dad is dead, and Bruce is, he is” he bites the inside of his cheeks, his hands are curled into fists, he takes a deep breath “Bruce is gone, but he is not dead, and then Dick took it away from me” in that moment he remembers that his parents knew that he was Robin, but did they told them? He looks at them and they seem confuse about the last words he said. “Did my parents told you what my night activities are?”

“What? What do you mean?” Tatsuo asks.

“I need to know if they told you about me” Tim persists.

“They only told us that you are their son, that you are too smart for your own good, that even if you are able to protect yourself they want us to keep an eye on you and” she stops and her eyes widen, “Janet said something else that I never gave a deep thought until now” her eyes start moving and her lips moves as if she is recalling her memory. “She said, _“Xochimitl, would you be able to keep an eye on Tim if I ask you to? I have already asked someone else to do it and they told me that they are able to do it at night”_ and I told her that Tatsuo, the kids and I would watch your back in the daytime, is that what you are asking for Timothy?” Xochi looks at him with a spark in her eyes, he wonders what it means.

“Yes, that’s what I am asking for” he bites his lower lip as he thinks of how his mother kept his secret to him, his father and her, how apparently she believed that he was safe at night running through rooftops and fighting criminals, and that’s what makes him decide that he will tell them his secret, not now, perhaps when it doesn’t hurt to think about it, because right now, he is not Robin, he is not a vigilante anymore, he has been thinking about becoming someone else, it wouldn’t be his either, just like Robin, _it was someone else’s_ , another of Jason’s cowl to be exact.

 _Red_ _Robin_ was the cowl he took for his new crusade, the mantle had his own morals, his own rules, and he would have _loved_ to bend those, but now he is not so sure if he will keep using it; right now, he is learning to be _Tim_ _Drake_.

“If you are not ready, you don’t need to tell us everything right away Tim, we don’t expect you to trust us in a few hours, hell, you just found out that your mother is alive and that you are a dragon, If you are not ready, then you are not ready, and that’s it, and there is nothing wrong with it” Tatsuo says and Tim looks at him with a small smile in his lips.

“Thank you, I just, I have secrets, and my parents knew them, and I just found out about that too, so I was wondering if you knew them too” he explains.

“It’s okay Tim, we all have secrets, it’s not a healthy habit, but we have them” Xochi moves her hand―the right one, the one she is not resting in Tatsuo’s arm― and interlace her fingers with his, giving him a squeeze. “We will be here for you Timothy, you are not alone” he takes her hand in a strong grip, he can feel tears forming in his eyes.

He is not alone anymore.

“Well, Tim, as I already told you, my name is Xochimitl Ciau Cuá, I am not a dragon, like you, I’ve been blessed by a god, _Quetzalcóalt_ , if you know Mexican Mythology, perhaps you have heard about him, if you don’t, he is a god from the Aztec culture, his name means the _feathered_ _serpent_ , he also symbolizes life, the light, wisdom, fertility and knowledge, before I was blessed, I believe it was around 1014, I was young, only 18 years old when I met him, he told me that I was an interesting mortal and that he would love to be with me, I came from a poor family, having to struggle to get food for all us, I was excited for having attracted a god, and we got together, we were a _couple_ , for a long time, until I got older, I was about 32 years when he proposed to me immortality, and I accepted, I was scared, I loved having a life in which I wouldn’t have to worry, and I didn’t want him to leave me so I didn’t saw any other option, until one day we came back to my hometown, due to the fact that it hold one of his Temples, I decided to visit my family” Xochi stops her story and look at Tim. “I never gave a second thought about my immortality until that day, I never thought about my family, didn’t even consider that my parents wouldn’t be there, that my 8 siblings were already grandparents, a few of them dead, that the youngest was already 64 years old, they recognized me, and they cared for me, but they didn’t welcomed me, I was nothing for them, their kids didn’t like me, they didn’t knew me so I couldn’t blame them, what a 40 year old would want from their 80 year old parents? So, I left and went with Quetzatcóalt, but I believe that that visit changed me, because in less than a year he was already with another mortal, I was the first and last person he turned into an immortal, I kept living, sometimes we would get back together, but it never lasted.” She turns her eyes to Tatsuo. “Then I met him and Janet, and that’s another story” Tatsuo smiles at her.

“Not to be rude, but you don’t look like a 32 year old” Tim points out to her.

“My immortality is not like that, I live and die, I age slower, it is harder for me to die, but I am able to, I have lived lives shorter than 10 years, and some longer than 100”

Tim looks at her for a moment then turns his gaze to Tatsuo.

“And you?”

“Well, I am Tatsuo Hisakawa, I want to believe that my name gave away from where I am, but if it didn’t, I am from Japan, I am a dragon, by the way there are different types of dragons Tim, you need to know that, I don’t know a lot about the story of your dragon, but mine was created by a god, Ryūjin, which literally means dragon god, his powers lay in the water, he is a sea dragon, but he is able to transform into a human shape, my grandparents told me that my grandma’s grandfather was Ryūjin’s first son with a mortal, when her grandfather found his lover, Ryūjin in an act of, I don’t know, being a good father? Well, he gave her the same abilities that his son had, and that’s how we were created, I am able to control the water in small extends when I’m in my human form, when I’m in my half form my control extends a little more, but when I become a dragon, that’s when all the water listens to me, I wasn’t able to fly, my powers didn’t lay there, until I met Xochi, and she helped me, oh, and I also met your mother in my first life.”

“You are immortal too?” Tim asks.

“Yes, I am, just like your mother and you too” Tatsuo tells him, and it reminds him of a sentence that appears in the diary.

“Wait, I have another question” Tim looks at them. “You know my dad” he says, as they nod he continues. “In the first page of my mother’s diary she said _“You are, after all, your father’s son”_ she implied that there is more of me of just being a dragon, and I know that you met my father, a few hours ago you said that I have my father’s features”

“What’s the point Tim?” Xochi asks.

“My mother said something about my father, and I quote _“And if he is not with you right there, then I will make him write a diary for you.”,_ I want to know if you know what is my father’s story? I know that my mother is alive, and she is a dragon, but my father, I only know one thing, and that is that he is dead, I need to find his diary, but I can’t really wait until tomorrow”

“Stop right there Tim” Tatsuo looks at him with intensity. “You know your mother is alive” he waits for Tim to nod “And you are telling me that she told you that Jack had _another_ diary for you in case he dies” Tim nods again and it makes Tatsuo to breath loudly through his nose.

“Timothy, you are telling us that your mother told you everything about her and her death being fake, but she didn’t mention anything about your father” when Tim looks at Xochi he can’t help but sit still, her face is not showing anything at the moment.

“Yes” his voice comes out more like a whisper but Xochi nods at his words.

“I am going to kill her, when I come back Tatsuo I want you to have a grave prepared” she is already turning around when Tim stops her.

“Wait, what? What are you guys not telling me?” that makes Xochi turn around and look at him directly into his eyes for a minute, then she says.

“Your father is not dead Timothy” his eyes widen, and he feels everything stop, he can’t hear anymore, and it lasts a few seconds.

“What?” He feels dizzy.

“Jack has his own history, Tim, just like us, he wouldn’t have died because of a bullet, he is a _Drake_ after all” Tatsuo explains, and Tim can only look at him, he tries to take a deep breath but only a sob comes out of his mouth, Xochi stops to stare at him, this time, her face reveals something, she cross the counter and gives him a hug.

“It’s okay Tim, we will kill your parents together after we give you the right training” she whispers into his ear and Tim laughs, a shaky laugh, but a laugh after all, he hugs her back, there is another hand rubbing his back and he knows that is Tatsuo. “Right now, you need to rest, because there is so much more for you to know and to learn” she cradles his face on her hands, wiping his tears with her thumbs. “You will be all right, we’ll make sure of it, you are family after all”

That night he cries until he feels empty and tired, he doesn’t exactly remember how he got into the bed, but he is there, he does remember Xochi’s lips on his temple and Tatsuo wishing him sweet dreams, he falls asleep with just one thought.

He needs to find his parents―he wonders if Bruce falls into this category, for now he adds him―, because apparently, none of them are dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I wasn't even expecting this, when I began this story I thought Jack was dead, but this story told me, "Hey, Jack can be helpful, why don't you bring him back to life?" and I said, "Okay, sure, why not?" So here he is!!!  
> I'm already in university guys!! I got into medicine and dear god, there is so much homework, but everything is so interesting, and I like it so bad so yeah, what do you think of this chapter??  
> By the way, Tinga is a dish that my mom taught me to make and I love it, I can eat like 8 tostadas.  
> I don't know when the next update will be tbh:(  
> I hope you like it!! lol it's 5:28am and i am here writing this for you, smh, you should love me i swear


	6. Chapter 5: Familiar places, familiar faces, please stop.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for taking more time than usual to post this chapter, this is kind of a filler one, it's not that exciting, for me at least, and it's shorter, but I hope you like it, let's hope that the next one is posted sooner than this one.

This time when Tim wakes up he knows where he is, well, _not exactly_ , he _knows_ he is in a room at the end of the hall, probably in the second floor of the house, what he doesn’t know is where this house is, _“am I still in Gotham?”_ is a question that resonates in his mind, but he only has to take a glance to his room to realize that _yes, he is in Gotham._ What tells him that he is still in Gotham is probably the window wall―the more he stares at it he notices that the wall is more of a one way mirror, if he were to be outside, he knows that he wouldn’t be able to see what is inside of the room―, he didn’t see it the other times he was awake, probably because it was dark, but he can see it now, is still quite dark out there, but there is a storm, and the lightnings help him distinguish the buildings that he associate with only one part of the city.

_Crime Alley._

And he can’t help but to also realize that he is in Red Hood’s territory.

That puts his body in alert, the last time he saw Jason it ended pretty badly, it was during the Battle for the Cowl.

He doesn’t know if he regrets taking Jason out of prison, he has always believe that the older one deservers another chance, but after what he has done he is not so sure of what he used to believe.

He knows it will be a long time until someone comes into the room to wake him up; after checking his phone to see what time is it, and noticing that is barely 6 AM, the only thing he can do is lay in bed looking at everything that is in the room, his body is more than awake, after resting for almost more than a day he is ready to be out there, he knows what he would be doing right now a year ago, he would be out there, fighting the criminals that hunt the streets of Gotham, he would be flying, and he doesn’t know what is the thing that he misses more, helping Gotham, making a change or to fly, he knows that he would enjoy and to a point, loved, to be out there, helping Batman, being a part of Young Justice, the Titans, but there was always something different when he would be in the sky, he remembers when he asked Kon to take him out flying, the clone laughed for a moment then proceed to look at him in the eye, he remembers the little smile that had formed in his lips, _“Well, let’s go for a fly, Boy Wonder”_ , for a time he associated his excitement for flying with Kon, but he knows that he had always felt something deeper for being in the air.

Now he knows why, his body has always been prepared for it, he was _meant_ to be flying.

 

First, he meditates, for about an hour, he tries to train Escrima for a few hours, until he starts missing his staff―during the time he trains he listens when Xochi and Tatsuo wake up, it’s around 7:30 AM, but they don’t come into his room until 10:30AM―, that is around 9AM, he also tries to train Taekwondo, Aikido, Taichi and more of the martial arts he knows, but it’s hard, he knew it would be hard to train on his own, but he didn’t know it would be this hard, he wonders if he should get into classes so he would be able to train with more people, perhaps Xochi or Tatsuo know any martial arts, it would help him a lot. He is sweating and getting rid of his shirt when someone knocks his door and he tells them to come in, the person in the door stays there and doesn’t say anything, it makes him to turn around and find Xochi looking at him with something that looks like curiosity, that’s when he realizes that he is not wearing his shirt anymore, thus he is showing his scars.

“Is everything okay Xochi?” he asks, he knows he is playing dumb, he knows Xochi knows that he is playing dumb, but he had never felt the need to cover his scars—this is probably because he has been living with vigilantes and almost all of them has their own scars—, and if this is the way that his mother friends happen to find out about him, then let it be, though he would have prefered to have more time.

“Breakfast is ready, you should take a shower before, I’m pretty sure that all the exercise that you did left you with a bad smell.” she smiles. “Tim, there is a dojo in the first floor, there is also a gym, and we have yard outside where you could, _train_ , if you wish to, you only have to ask” Xochi is already turning her back to him when she says “Oh, and a friend of mine is coming, I’m pretty sure you will love her, I don’t know if you already know her though, being Wayne’s ward.” and then she’s gone, leaving the door close, as if she was never there.

He wonders who is downstairs, and why Xochi would believe that Tim may know this person.

 

When he comes out of the bathroom, after taking a well deserved shower―as soon as he is able he knows he will make the correct use of the bath―that only took about 10 minutes, for a moment he panics, he doesn’t live here, he doesn’t have any clothes that belong to him, that is, until he remembers that Tatsuo told him that he brought a few things that he believed that Tim would need, he looks for the backpack and luckily for him there is everything he needs.

He is ready in less than 10 minutes and already going downstairs, now that is morning and he is able to recognize what is out there is when he notices that his room is in the third floor, the kitchen is in the second one, for what Xochi told him there is place to train in the first floor, he wonders what is in the fourth floor―because he knows that there is a fourth floor, he saw the the stairs leading upstairs―, and in less that a minute he is already standing outside the kitchen, he can hear three different voices, one male, Tatsuo, and two females, Xochi, and the other is familiar.

Just as he opens the door Tatsuo says.

“Hey kid! Took you long enough, here is someone you should meet, a good friend of ours”

“Doctor Thompkins” he can help but to stare at the woman, he remembers her leaving, what is she doing here? Is it because of Bruce being gone?

“Oh, you know each other?” Tatsuo says but they ignore him while Xochi is observing Tim and Thompkins’ interactions.

“Tim, what are you doing here?” the older woman―by looks, not by age― asks, and he notices how she gives him a check, looking for injuries.

“I’m, I” he stumbles, what is he doing here?

“He is staying with us Leslie, he is family” Xochi says, making Dr. Thompkins blink, then nod, as if Xochi’s answer is enough for her.

“Has he met the kids?” Thompkins asks as Tim sits next to Tatsuo.

“Do I serve myself?” Tim asks Tatsuo in a whisper as soon as he sits next to him.

“What? You don’t have hands?” Tatsuo smiles. “Yes, you will serve yourself, you may be a guest for know, but you are capable of doing your own things, the dishes and glasses are to your left, the food is still in the stove, waiting for you, and the orange juice is already in the table, suit yourself Timmy.”

Just as he stars serving himself he goes back to listening to Xochi and Thompkins’ conversation.

“He hasn’t meet them, but he will, soon, they missed you, by the way” Xochi says.

“They were with me in Africa, we haven’t seen only in about a month” Thompkins laughs and Tim can’t help but to find that sound unfamiliar, and he also notices how Thompkins posture is calmer in here, it seems that she trusts Tatsuo and Xochi.

“And that brings another question, what are you doing here?” Tim has finished serving himself a full breakfast and is sitting down when Tatsuo asks that question, when he looks up he sees a different atmosphere than the previous one, he can’t get any read in Tatsuo and Xochi, and when he looks at Thompkins he sees a familiar posture, she looks as if she is going to make a really bad decision to help someone.

“I’m opening the clinic again, Gotham’s needs it know, more than ever” at that she glances to Tim for a second, and he knows that the movement is not lost by Tatsuo and Xochi. “I’m here to help those that would accept my help.”

Tim can’t help but to ask, “Why are you asking them?” the real questions are left unsaid, _Why are you here? Why aren’t you with Dick? Alfred? Barbara? What are you doing here? How do you know them? Who are you to them? Who are they to you?_

“We are the main donators of Leslie, Tim. We also help keep the, _bad guys_ , out of her clinic” Tatsuo answers.

“Well, if those are your intentions, then we will be glad to help you Leslie” Xochi smiles to her. “Welcome back to Gotham, she missed you”

And they talk.

And Tim almost forgets that the woman in front of him is also the woman that use to take care of Bruce when he was younger, that she has seen each of the bats in their most critical moments, almost dying, that the villains of Gotham respect her wishes, that she faked Stephanie’s death and apparently she is back to Gotham probably because of Bruce being gone.

_Almost._

He wonders if she will tell anything to Dick, probably not, she would probably tell Alfred, and he wouldn’t tell Dick if the latter one doesn’t ask, he is safe for now.

He wishes that he won’t meet any more familiar faces, at least not for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is fucking short and I'm really sorry!!  
> Poor Tim, he never gets a break, does he?  
> Well, Leslie knows about the kids, what a surprise, huh?  
> I want to read your theories of what is going on, why is Tim in Crime Alley ?? How come is that Tatsuo and Xochi are the donators of Dr. Thompkins clinic? whAt a shock.  
> Read you later !


	7. Chapter 6: A lot of things to learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim wonders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me two weeks, but here it is, I haven't checked the chapter, so it probably has a few mistakes, I will do it tomorrow, right now I'm kind of tired, have fun reading it!
> 
> edit: omg, i just read the chapter and there are a lot of mistakes, i’m really sorry, I’m so tired, so if you read the chapter, probably try to read it again when the next chapter is post because I’m going to edit this chapter a lot.(lol i said chapter 5 times)  
> edit 2: hii! it turns out that I didn't edit this chapter a lot as I thought I was going to hahah, but just in case if you guys want to read it again, you are welcome to do it!

After finishing his breakfast and excusing himself from the table he is almost at the door when Tatsuo says.

“Will you want me to accompany you to your house?” he turns around and sees Thompkins’ reaction, she’s waiting for his answer, he wonders if she already visited Alfred and thus she has a little of information about what happened to him, about the fact that he is not living with them anymore.

“Yes, I have a few things I wish to bring” he finally answers.

“Alright, get ready. Let me just clean my dishes and we leave” Tatsuo starts standing up from where he is seating.

“Okay, I’ll be going upstairs to grab my stuff”

“I think I will also have to leave, there is so much more to do about opening the clinic, I’m planning on hiring new staff since the one I had is gone, and most of them have gotten new jobs” Dr. Thompkins is taking her bag as she says all that.

“If we can, we will help you on that, I’m pretty sure all of the kids would love to be there to lend you a hand” Xochi informs her, as she is standing up too.

And that’s when Tim decides to leave the kitchen and go to the room, he only grabs his phone and keys, feeling a little naked about not having any type of protection on him, he feels, _lighter_.

He _kinds_ of like it.

He has been trying to get more weight, when he used to be Robin it wasn’t a problem, he has always been more of the lean type, and Robin was about being the light of Gotham, therefore he didn’t need to be a scarier type, but now that he took the mantle of Red Robin it proved difficult to get more muscles, to become broader and he wonders if he is going to be able to become bigger in that aspect, he doesn’t aim to become like Bruce or Jason― _he wouldn’t, even if he wishes to_ ―, but perhaps like Dick. And that’s why he has been training harder, but his training hasn’t bear fruits.

He doesn’t notice that a long time have already passed until he hears Tatsuo scream.

“Tim, if you don’t get downstairs in 10 seconds I’ll be leaving on my own!” that prompts a laugh from Tim and makes him run.

He is next to Tatsuo in 9 seconds, not even breaking a sweat, Tatsuo raises an eyebrow.

“If you had taken another second I would have left you” Tim smiles. “Not bad. You could be faster, though”

“I could?” Tim asks with a smirk on his face.

“You could, and _you will_ ”

They are in the living room, and he doesn’t see Xochi or Leslie anywhere.

“Leslie already left, Xochi is going through paperwork to bring the clinic back, let me show you the first floor” Tatsuo says, and starts walking, he goes past a door, that he believes is a bathroom, and next to that one then there is another door that Tatsuo opens by putting his finger in it, and he sees another set of stairs, but these ones go downstairs, they are small, only one person able to go through them, he has to walk behind Tatsuo.

“After this we are getting to the back of the business, there are other ways to get downstairs, but this the more…civilian one, I usually don’t use it because it leads to the front doors” he keeps talking, he pushes through the door and the sight that greets him is the entrance, he sees the logo of the place on the doors and he can’t help but still. He knows this business, every single of the vigilantes of Gotham know it, they know they can’t touch it, and since it’s not a bad one―for once―, they let it be.

_Park Row Gym & Dragon Fight_

He remembers when Bruce informed him about it, they know that every criminal that comes from Crime Alley has gone to this gym at least once, they investigated, and the Gym doesn’t only work as a gymnasium, but also helps people get job opportunities, it gives free self-defense classes, and more. He remembers looking at the owner, he doesn't remember their name, but he knows that it wasn’t Tatsuo or Xochimitl, as he tries to remember he comes with an image, the owner was an woman at the time, perhaps 56 years old, when they looked through her files, they only found that she used to be a seamstress, and that after living in Gotham for years she decided to open the place to help those in need, they didn’t find any bad relationships, family or anything.

“Hello Adriana! How is Melissa?” Tatsuo gets him out of his thoughts, he knows he probably zoned out for a few seconds, he hopes that the man didn’t notice.

“Hi Tatsuo, she is fine, she is loving high school, she says that her teachers are amazing, not amazing as you though” the young receptionist laughs, she has an olive skin, her eyes a rich brown, he does notice the strong accent that most Gothamites have.

“Well, if you compared anyone to me, would you obviously expect them to be better?” Tim notices how Tatsuo tilts his face, and as an outsider he would probably believe that he is flirting, but he sees it, Tatsuo is checking her in a way that is looking for something specific, not looking at her body in a sexual way, more than looking for something, and he looks for them in precise places, such as her face, arms, neck, and he realizes what he is looking for. And he realizes what he is looking, because Tim has done it before with abuse victims.

Bruises.

She laughs again at what he says.

“I’m bringing her this weekend, for the self-defense classes”

“Sure, me and Timmy will be giving them” Tatsuo says.

“We are?” he asks.

“We are kid” Tatsuo reaffirms.

“Oh, so you are Tim, right?” she asks, and he nods. “I remember you” he looks at her, wondering how she knows him. “I mean, I remember you from yesterday, when Tatsuo brought you all passed out, I was really worried, you didn’t move at all, you looked like a ragdoll”

“Oh, I don’t remember anything from that” Tim scratches the back of his head.

“I don’t expect you too, how old are you?” she asks but then the phone rings and she answers with a “Park Row Gym & Dragon Fight, with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” she nods and says “the taekwondo classes take time from 5 to 8 PM, from Monday to Fridays, the gym is open everyday from 6 AM to 10 PM, and in Saturdays and Sundays is open from 10 AM to 3 PM, if you would like to have more information you can come at any time today or the rest of the week at the schedule of the gym, yes, we will be waiting for you, no, thank you for calling”

“I am 16, almost 17” Tim finally answers.

“Oh, you seem younger, well I won’t be taking more of your time, go do your things and I’ll do mine, bye guys” she says as she presses a button and a song from The Black Eyed Peas start playing through the speakers. “The people that come to the gym loves to bring their headphones, but when I play the music they don’t even take out their phones at all”

“Come on Tim, follow me” Tatsuo says as they walk through the front door and end up in a parking lot, there are a lot of cars already, and he wonders for the first time if right now, there is a criminal inside of the gym. They stop next to a Nissan Armada, and when Tatsuo opens it, Tim looks at him.

“What? You can’t believe that I’m not driving a fancy car? I’m sorry Tim, but when you get kids you will get it” he says as he puts on the seat belt, Tim does the same.

They get out of the parking lot and that takes about 5 minutes, doing a lot of maneuvers to avoid hitting another vehicle, when they get out of there he starts feeling anxious, after all, this is not his territory.

“Stop squirming kid” he jumps as Tatsuo says that. “You know, you are kind of big for a dragon”

“What?” Tim looks at him with a frown.

“You are too broad for a dragon, we are usually on the leaner type, I think it has something to do with our transformation, and with what we do” the traffic light is red and that allows Tatsuo to look at Tim “Yeah, you are too big, weren’t you leaner? Or what? Have you been trying to get broader? If you have, it’s working, but you will have to stop” the light turns green and he advances.

“Why? What does it have to do?” he asks.

“You know, I usually don’t care about those type of things, when I was leaner and I transformed, it would be faster and it wouldn’t hurt, but when I was broader it hurt so much and took its time, I didn’t really care at the time, I only knew that being thin would help, but your father, as nosy as he is, discovered why” Tim notices how a little smile gets in Tatsuo’s lips. “If I remember correctly, he says that we don’t have any extra bones, that the bones of the wings and tail that we get are already inside, our bodies are not different from the humans, what happens in our transformation is that our floating ribs change positions, they move, I didn’t understand that part really well, I don’t know if they dissolve and then start growing again, or if they literally fucking move, can you imagine it? Well, moving on, they move to our back and connect with each scapula, then they grow up, bla bla, the problem is that if we have a lot of muscles the floating ribs struggle more to move, that’s why it hurts when they do, we can have them, look at me, but we can’t have them in excess, after we become humans again, the floating ribs go back where they came from, oh, and we usually have small waists, I think it was because of the absence of our floating ribs, since they move our body start adjusting, it leaves space for the ribs, but it only leaves the necessary one”

“And you say my father discovered this?” Tim feels in awe.

“Yeah, you see, your mother and I just let our dragon be the way they are, if we are hungry even after eating a whole meal for 2, we eat again, whatever, it’s what our body needs, but your father couldn’t let that type of things go, he needed to know why, he turned us into their guinea pigs, it was fun, and interesting if I’m being honest, he already knew a lot more than us though, because of his family”

“His family?” Tatsuo looks at Tim.

“ _The Drakes_ ” He turns off the car and Tim blinks, he didn’t notice that they were already in front of his house.

“Now, let’s go get your stuff, we are starting your training today, we want to reunite you with your parents as soon as possible, Xochi and I don’t like how things are going on with what’s happening” Tatsuo opens the door and gets out of the vehicle, Tim follows him.

“Why?”

“Because it seems too weird, something doesn’t fit, we don’t know why Janet or Jack would fake their deaths, and more importantly, why would they leave you in the dark”

“I, I was asking why you are telling me all of this” he takes his keys and looks down, opening the door, when he looks up, he finds himself looking at Tatsuo's hazel eyes.

“Tim, why would I let you out of what’s happening? You are their son, you are kind of my nephew, you know what? Scratch that, _you are_ _my nephew_ , you are family to us, and we protect each other, because we are all we have”

They stay in the front door for a few seconds.

“Would you let me get in? I don’t want to get robbed, it’s too early for that”

Tim laughs.

“Come in, and close the door please" he gets inside of the house "I will bring just the essentials, wait for me” he is already by the stairs when he says that.

“Do you want me to look for your father’s diary?” he asks, and Tim turns to look at him.

“Do you think you know where to find it?”

“If I’m being honest, your mother only told us about her diary, but she never talked about making your father write one, I’m afraid that your father probably didn’t, I will still look for it”

“All right, what time is it?”

“It’s 12:28 PM, why?” he looks at his phone to check the hour.

“Let’s meet up here at 1:30 PM with what we have found”

“Sure, until 1:30 then”

He finally turns around, walking through the stairs and goes to his room. He only will take his bo staff, more clothes, and the essentials, he wonders if Tatsuo will be able to find the diary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey, so what do you think? We get a little of where Tim is, and what Xochi and Tatsuo do, how Jack is, how Janet is, I hope you see the little details, read you until next one!


	8. Chapter 7: He Learns Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They found them, and he learns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I already edited the last chapter, but there is not a lot of difference, I only took out a few sentences that were written bad, and use a few synonyms, bla.  
> I wasn't going to write anything this week, because I didn't have any inspiration, but then I read a jasico fic, and what can I say, you all should thank jasico for this chapter.  
> Oh, and beware, becuase this chapter will kill you

The last two months have not been easy for Tim.

He knows that Tatsuo and Xochimitl have been trying to find his parents, and that they are pouring everything into his training, _he knows._

But sometimes knowing is not enough, sometimes actions count more.

He wonders if he is being a coward, if he should tell them to their faces that he is leaving, that even after only meeting them for a month, he trusts them―he doesn’t know how this happened, he thinks it has something to do with the fact that Tatsuo is a dragon, therefore he feels safer with him around, he wants to believe that, because otherwise it would mean that he got naïve enough to let people enter his life so easily, to allow other people to watch his back―, but it doesn’t matter, he needs to find Bruce, because he knows no one is looking for him, they have giving up on him, _but he is right_ , Bruce is out there, he only needs to find proof, Dick will listen to him, _finally_ , perhaps even Tatsuo and Xochi will be able to help them―he is not so sure about this, his family has never met his, well, _his other family_ , as far as he knows―, the only thing that stops him from going out is himself, because he doesn’t want to leave them, because in the last 2 months he got used to live a life surrounded by them, and he is not only talking about Tatsuo and Xochi, he is talking about Larisse, that always complains about her coworker Sam from the coffee shop, but at the same time she always have this look in her eyes that tell otherwise, about Daniel, that not only got into Gotham U, but also loves to learn new languages, and is not afraid of telling Tim when his act skills are bad, when his accents are wrong, about Brianna that loves to hug Tim from the back and kiss his shoulder when he gets into one of his ramblings,  about Francisco that also loves to hug Tim, but he does it all the time― _and Tim kind of likes having Brianna and Francisco attention, but that’s a thought for another time_ ―, he will even miss the twins that are sneaky and love to move and mess with everything in his room.

He knows he got attached to them, and he doesn’t want to leave, but he must.

And he was planning on doing it that night, until Tatsuo finally says it at dinner.

“We found them, they are in Mexico City” he says and smiles to Tim, and everyone in the table is excited, he hears little Catherine say that they are going to Mexico, and Tim smiles.

That night he goes to sleep with Brianna and Francisco, each of them at his sides.

And he remembers all those last two months.

 

* * *

 

 

Tatsuo found the diary, he founds it in one of the boxes that contain a few researches from Jack.

The diary only had one page written, and a few sentences in the second and third pages, the rest of it is blank, he says as he gives it to Tim.

He looks at it, he recognizes his father handwriting, and starts reading.

_“Hey Tim,_

_I hope you never have to find this diary, because it would mean I’m not with you anymore, your mother made a lot of diaries, in case for everything, she says._

_I don’t know if I would have the advantage of that, to think “In case”._

_You know that we are a small family Tim, just your mother, you and me; that’s a lie, there is so much more in our family tree._

_First, I’m sure that you already know the heritage of your mother’s part, you are a dragon, and I know that that is a shock, that you will have trouble learning your new strengths, but that’s not all, you are also my son, you are a Drake, and my family is way different than your mothers._

_We are hunters, or more specific, we are dragon hunters, and its not only a job, it also goes through our blood, we are kind of special in a way, but we are still human. I always wanted you to learn everything about our family Tim, but I also want you to be protected, because if you didn’t get it before, my family hunts dragons, and you need to remember that your mother and you are dragons._

_And I would never risk anything happen to you two, you are so much worth it than my family, than knowledge._

_If I’m not there with you, the main reason could be because of my family, they don’t know that Janet is a dragon, that you are a dragon, they only know that I am “weak”, but if they get the information that you two are dragons, they’ll come for us, and I need you to run, you could go with Tatsuo and Xochimitl, they are your mother friends, but if they are not in Gotham, since they travel a lot, I heard of a couple that was from the same life I had, hunters, but they decided to leave, I tried to contact them, and thus I met their daughter, she knows what her parents used to do, she agreed to help, she has a husband, hey are a couple who would be able to help you, I don’t think you know them, their names are Jonathan and Martha Kent, they live in Kansas, just tell them that Jack Drake is your father, they’ll take you in, I hope they are still alive, I haven't keep up with them._

_I love you Tim, it’s easier to say it in a letter, when I’m not watching your expressions, because I know that when we tell you those words you don’t believe them, we see it, and we are sorry for making you believe that, but we love you, and we want you to be safe.”_

Tim breaths through his nose, but then his mouths open, leaving out a sob, he feels Tatsuo’s hand on his shoulder.

He reads the next page.

_“She’s gone, Tim, she’s gone._

_Her body looked so real._

_We can’t take you with us, it would be so obvious._

_Tim I love you._

_Be safe please”_

And the next one

_“I have to leave, I am sorry_

_for acting that way towards you being Robin, we were proud._

_It was part of the plan to keep you out of the streets, out of their sight_

_Dana is a friend of ours, she knows, she promised she would try her best when I leave, but she is still human, I am worried_

_I am sorry for not writing this diary, for breaking a promise with your mother._

_For not getting you prepared._

_Captain Boomerang is going to do it, a favor we asked_

_That’s not me Tim, I’m going to be fine_

_We are sorry for making you cry, we are so sorry._

_Perhaps in a few years we will be back, we will try our best to be together_

_If you try to find us, do it quietly._

_I hope I don’t forget anything important”_

And at the end of the page he reads.

_“Stay away from the Court of Owls, they know nothing of our pasts, but they are smart enough to find out.”_

Who is the Court of Owls?

 

* * *

 

 

After that he tried to get more information from Tatsuo about his father, but he didn’t know much more than him.

“He left his family not only because of Janet, but also because he never liked doing it” Tatsuo says on the way back.

“That’s why you called me a Drake?” he asks.

“Yeah, you guys are myths, the kind of bedtime stories we tell the little whelps. There was nothing in concrete, there are dragons that say that you are ghosts, that you are the Illuminati, that you don’t even exists, you know what? You are kinda like the Court of Owls, but for dragons, oh and without that creepy nursery rhyme” Tim straights “I will never forget that rhyme, it goes like _“Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed. Speak not a whispered word about them, or they'll send the Talon for your head.”_

“The Court of Owls? Who are they?” he asks, remembering the last words in the diary, _“Stay away from the Court of Owls, they know nothing of our pasts, but they are smart enough to find out.”_

“They are an organization that works here in Gotham, it has been for a long time, they tried to recruit your parents, since they go to the wealthiest, that’s how we found out about them, they also tried to recruit us, because of our money, of course, but it seems that they were actually trying to take us out of Gotham, too bad for them that we are sneaky as fuck. They also didn’t like that we spend our money in Crime Alley, we never encountered them again, your parents denied their request, saying that they don’t stay at Gotham enough to care, that influenced their trips, otherwise the Court would try to recruit them again.” He explains.

“And what does that last sentence mean? _“Speak not a whispered word about them, or they'll send the Talon for your head”_ Is it literally or?” he wonders if right now someone is listening to them.

“I don’t think so, I believe that is more oriented to their members, for what we found out, Talons are assassins, and that last sentence means that if you are a member and talk about the Court, they’ll come to kill you, simple, isn’t it?” Tatsuo shoots a smile to Tim’s direction.

“How? What? How come we have never heard of it? Batman should have stopped them already!” Tim says, more talking to himself at that moment.

“Well, you never needed to know, as for Batman, Tim, I am a dragon, Xochimitl is an immortal, who is also a witch, or a magician, your father is a hunter, your mother is a dragon, you are a dragon! And you are wondering how he didn’t notice?” and that shuts Tim, what else did they miss?

 

* * *

 

 

After getting into the house, Xochi told him that they are going to start his training now, they called for teachers, since they knew that Tim couldn’t only rely on his new powers, after that, they would teach him on their own.

He never thought that his teachers would be, _them_.

“Little bird” he can almost hear the sarcasm in her voice.

“Oh, and I thought this was going to be boring”

Lady Shiva and Deathstroke.

He wants to ask if he really needs the training, but he keeps it to himself.

“Hello, again, it seems that this time I’m not taking you to jail” he smirks, he knows he is projecting his Robin persona.

He doesn’t notice that Xochimitl is watching his interactions, again.

And he forgets to tell them of his night activities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOO WHAT DO YOU THINK?  
> I know a lot has been thrown in this chapter, I wasn't completely sure of adding a few things, but I thought "fuck it, I want to make them know each other, bye", ohoho, and there is so much more you don't know, but I think that if you read the chapter a few times, you will get it, don't do it tho!! I don't want you to get the plot right away, buahahah, until next time!!


	9. Chapter 7: He Learns Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seriously mom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure there will be a Part III and perhaps a Part IV if the next chapter is short.  
> Sorry for taking so much time for writing this chapter! I got a new idea for a new story, and that story got me bad, it's a Talon!Tim, I just love Tim so much, sorry?

Slade didn’t know why he was in Gotham.

Well, he did know, he was here to train someone on a favor, for his sister, Janet Wilson; and while he hasn’t talked to her since she decided to get married to someone he didn’t had in him to care, he knew better to deny anything from her.

And that’s how he founds himself kneeling in a roof of Gotham, watching the new Batman, and apparently the new Robin as well. He has heard the rumors, but there is one thing to hear it, and to see it.

The new Batman is more flexible, and even if he is not that close to them, he can hear him laugh, and the new Robin, well, he is completely different from the last one, for starters, he is smaller, his costume has a hood, and also brought back the colors green and yellow, there is also one thing that catches Slade’s attention immediately, the weapons the kid is carrying, because he is sure that that’s a katana. Finally, he decides to make his presence known.

“Hello _Batman_ ” he appears in front of them, their stance is the same as it was before, but he can see how they are ready for a fight.

“It’s a pleasure Deathstroke, haven’t see you around here for a while, are you here in business?” he asks, smiling, making Slade stop, because he never thought he would see Batman smiling, at least not a smile directed at him, but he has to remind himself that this is not Bruce Wayne, this is Dick Grayson, the first boy wonder.

“Well, I’m back now, boy wonder, for the last question, I’m here for personal reasons, unless you want to make them something else” he smiles as the new Robin scowls.

“I suppose that you wouldn’t tell us what those, _“personal reasons”_ are, right?” Batman asks.

“You suppose right” Slade confirms.

“Tt, then, what are you doing here?” the kid says, and Deathstroke only stares at him, then smiles.

“Can’t I just catch up with my favorite bird?” he tilts his face, and he is sure the kid is about to answer him back, but he stops himself, and Slade realizes that they are listening to their comms.

“Robin let’s go” he notices how this new Batman has to actually tell his Robin what to do, unlike the other Robins that only had to take a glance to their mentor and they already knew what to do.

_Interesting, he is relatively new to this partner thing._

And they leave, and Slade thinks he gets more questions than answers, _what happened to the last Robin?_

 

* * *

 

 

When he arrives at _Park Row Gym & Dragon Fight, _he doesn’t really know what to expect, he knows he is here to train someone, the question is who. He is surprised to see Sandra Woosan, or Lady Shiva―whatever she calls herself this days―, and wonders if his new student is planning to become a villain, or antihero perhaps, and how they got Janet to ask this favor for him, and how they got Lady Shiva to train them too.

“Do the person we are going to train has any prior training Xochimitl?” Sandra is the one who asks.

“He seems to have received training before, but to my knowledge he hasn’t received any training like yours, I think so” she answers, and besides answering their question, they also get the gender of their new student.

“You think so?” Slade asks, he knows Xochimitl is an immortal, a witch―or a magician? He never really asked―, surely, she would recognize their fighting styles in someone else.

“I have seen him train… while he doesn’t fight like you, it seems that he knows how to, for the way I saw him change tactics I would believe that you train him a little, but he decided to take your training and change it into his” Xochi explains, then she looks at Slade “As for you, I didn’t see any of your fighting styles, nor him using any deathly weapon, but I remember seeing him trying to reach for something while training, If I’m right, I would believe that he tried to reach for an specific weapon, a bo staff” at the moment she stops talking he shots a glance to Shiva, and the moment their eyes meet, they know.

“Who are we going to train Xochimitl?” he is the one who asks; she looks at him for a moment, and when she is about to answer her phone rings, she takes the call.

“Tatsuo? Are you outside? Oh, you already explained him how his training is supposed to be like? Good, yes, they are here, we are in the hidden gym, no, not the big one, the small one, now give him the phone” she pauses for a moment “I see that you are back, Tatsuo will guide you to a gym, we are about to start your training” she stops again “You’ll need the training because your body needs this type of training, not the one you have been having, it’s not good for you, it will tire you out, I’m sure your father left some information on how your type of training is supposed to be, this will only be training for your body, later on Tatsuo will train you on that aspect, mhm, give back the phone to Tatsuo” there is another pause “Where are you and why are you not here?” she hangs, looks at their faces and smiles “This is how you keep in control your partner”

Sandra smirks, and Slade remembers now why she and his sister are friends.

They turn around when the door to the gym is open, and Slade can’t help to stop the smile that forms in his face

When the kid looks at him, he doesn’t look surprised more than he looks like wondering why this is happening to him.

“Little bird” Lady Shiva is the first one to talk, and he remembers reading somewhere that this kid received training from her, and more recently that the kid poisoned her with chocolates.

“Oh, and I thought this was going to be boring” he finally says, and wonders again, what did this kid do to get a favor from Janet Wilson?

 

* * *

 

 

They decided to start their training by watching what the kid can do.

And while the kid is good at what he does he is not that good, Slade remembers hearing about a fight that happened in Gotham about a month ago, perhaps more, they called it the Battle for the Cowl, and this kid almost got beaten to death by the Red Hood. He needs to be better. And one of the things that stop him from being better is his weight, he comments it to Tatsuo, another one of his sisters’ friend.

“Yeah, I already told him, he should be lighter, he doesn’t need nor should have all those muscles, they are stopping him from bringing his full potential” there are a few moments when he remembers that his sister’s friends are immortal for the way they act, but when he sees Tatsuo seriously watching the fight between Tim and Lady Shiva he wonders their relationship.

“Who is he to you?” he asks, and Tatsuo looks at him in surprise, then that surprise turns into a smirk.

“You don’t know?” Tatsuo laughs “Oh dear, when was the last time you talked to your sister? Besides when she asked you for this favor” Slade tries to remember, it was perhaps 18 or 19 years ago?

“It was a little before she decided to get married” he finally settles with, he wasn’t Deathstroke at that time, but he was already married with Adeline and Joseph was born.

“Oh boy, what you have missed, as much as I would love to tell you, I believe you should let Tim be the one to answer your questions, if what you say is true, then he probably doesn’t know either, but you’ll probably figure out” Tatsuo pats his shoulder and one of Slade’s eyebrows goes up making the immortal laugh again “This is going to be so much fun I swear”

When they turn around the fight is about to finish, while Tim―what’s his last name? Davis? Drake? No, Derrick?― knows Sandra’s style, there is a lot he doesn’t, and that’s something common, when you teach someone you don’t teach them _everything._

The winner is obviously Lady Shiva, when he goes to the middle of the practice mat he looks to the kid, and while he looks tired out, he doesn’t look like he is going to fall.

They both take a defensive posture, he sees that Tim keeps his knees bent and his weight forward. And like that the match starts.

Tim charges, but Slade already anticipated from watching the last fight, thus he throws up his forearms blocking his punch, but apparently it was a fake punch and the kid is fast― _and he could be faster, he_ thinks― Tim slipped to the side, and tries to push his elbow down, and at that moment Slade knows what the kid is trying to do and smiles.

“You really think you are able to do that, boy?” the kid smiles at him.

“Oh, if I’m honest I don’t think so” and that’s the moment the kid jumps, and then Slade’s head is surrounded by his thighs, and he is on the floor, for a moment Slade wonders if Dick taught him that “But I’m able to do this, so it’s all good”

The kids wait for him to stand up and gets into his stance again.

“I wonder, how did you get Janet to ask this favor for you?” he asks while he positions himself in his stance.

“What?” the kid asks, his posture falls for a second.

“I said, how did you get Janet Wilson to owe you a favor?”

“Do you mean Janet Drake?” he feels a frown forming and he looks at the kid, expecting him to explain more “My mother”

Oh. _Oh._

“You have to be kidding me Janet” he says, and at the moment he charges he sees the kid’s mind working, because when his eyes widen he is sure is not because of the attack.

“More family? Seriously mom?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... what do you think?  
> I'm not even good at writing fight scenes in spanish, you can imagine the pain I got while trying to write this short fight scene.  
> As always, I don't have a beta, any mistake is mine.


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